Chevrons set to host India

By Perkins-Tino Bare

Zimbabwe Cricket is set to host India next month as they play 3 ODI`s and 3 T20`s in a series to be played at the Harare Sports Club from the 11^th of June to the 22^nd of June. The tour will only be confined to the ODI and T20 formats as once again there are no Test matches scheduled for this particular tour.

Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the developments in a statement released by their managing director, Wilfred Mukondiwa “After finalising all the formalities with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), we are pleased to announce the incoming tour scheduled for this June,” Mukondiwa said.

All matches are set to be played in Harare as the Harare Sports Club is going to be the principal venue for the series. A test match had been set for the series but ut was later replaced by the three T20`s after a request from Zimbabwe Cricket. That`s not however an issue as right now i bet any team would have done the trick for the many starved cricket fans. The Chevrons had been out of action since their dismal run at the qualifiers of the World Cup T20 played in India which then saw them missing out on the tournament itself ceding what seemed to many like their rightful qualification spot to Afghanistan. Ever since there has been talk about Sri Lanka but it was then cancelled and with funds being cited as the problem which then questioned the whole legitimacy of the tour itself.

Last time the Chevrons played India was in July 2015 when India won the ODI series 3-0 with the T20 series being tied at 1-1. It was right at that period when the Chevrons experienced a good run in terms of just putiting in the hours on the field of play buit then it tuirned out dismally as they lost the greater number of theose matches.

After a dismal showing at teh T20 world Cup in fact it was prematurely as it was the qualifiers, the Chevrons will be hoping to put on a better showing as they just look to redeem themselves and then that issue once again of racking up those points and going up the rankings to avoid having to go through the qualification phase for the 2019 World Cup.

The tour is set to start on the 11^th of June with the three ODI`s being played on the 11th,13th and 15th of June, all at the Harare Sports Club. The T20`s get off on the 18^th of June with the other two being played on the 20^th and on the 22^nd of June with all matches also set to be played out at the Harare Sports Club.

As it satnds the Chevrons are out of action and most of teh Indian players are curently involved in the IPL. The IPL is however ending on May 29 and it then means that the Indian players will have a short break to rest after the IPL before the tour that will start a fortnight later. Last time India toured they sent a heavily depleted side citing fatigue as they rested the bulk of their senior players. Their side was however sufficient to do the business with Ajinkya Rahane starring in that tour for the Indians.

This time around we don`t look forward to them doing no different especially with the tour coming just a fortnight after the IPL and also the harsh reality that India are topping the T20 rankings and are ranked no3 in ODI`s whilst the Chevrons are the bottom ranked side in ODI`s at No 12 while we they are also no.13 in the T20`s. A third string side should thereofre be enough for India to get the business done and with them also having a hectic schedule after that we might just be lucky and have them try out their best prospective lads on us. After the Zimbabwean tour India will go on to host New Zealand for three Tests and five ODIs, England coming over five Tests, five ODIs and one T20I, and Australia rounding things off with a four-Test series and that should be enough for them to rest the bulk of their seniors.

Chevrons` fans should not, however despair as they haven`t had any cricket action for quite a bit now and this should should be really a welcome development to most fans. This is indeeed an opportunity given to Zimbabwe Cricket by the BCCI to improve their revenue and also just to get some cricketing action and India should really be thanked for such an opprtunity which over the yuears always comes despite of the dire state our game is in.

It is however shocking that ZC decided against Test matches for the T20`s and it just goes on to show the desperate state that they are in for revenue. T20`s will surely fill up Harare Sports Club and it will be a good business move but it would have been batter for the game itself if we had kept the Test format as part of the tour especially considering the fact that we haven`t had much of Test cricket after our self-imposed ban. Its however generally a welcome development for personally i`m startved of some cicketing action and will surely be looking forward to the matches at the Harare Sports Club.

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